There is no related application.
This invention was developed with private funds and there was no federally assisted funds.
This section is not applicable to this subject matter.
1. Field of the Invention
The sled is a mobile mechanical unit which can traverse various types of terrain. For example, the earth can be level or it can be a slope or a hill. The earth can be rough or smooth such as gravel or an asphalt or concrete path. The terrain can be snow or ice. Also, the terrain can be water. The sled can move over the foregoing types of terrain.
The sled can be self-propelled and may be electrically operated from a battery or from electric wires. The sled may comprise an internal combustion engine such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel, alcohol, or gas such as natural gas or a synthetic gas.
The sled can be used as a remotely controlled toy which can maneuver in various terrains from flat to hilly to rocky to smooth.
The sled can be used as a rescue vehicle. A rope can be attached to the sled and the sled maneuvered over ice or snow or water or other terrain to place the rope near a person who is stranded and needs to be pulled away from the stranded location. For example, a person may have walked on ice and the ice may have broken. The ice cannot support a person but can support the sled. A rope can be attached to the sled and the sled maneuvered to be close to the person so that the person can grab onto the rope and be pulled out of the frozen water and out of the ice.
The sled may be used for observation purposes such as a camera being mounted on the sled and the sled moved in close proximity to an object to be observed. Or, a television camera may be mounted on the sled and the television pictures transmitted to a remote location.
The sled may be used for transportation means to move a person or an object from a first location to a second location.
The sled may have a detection means. A person buried in an avalanche may have a transmitter for electromagnetic waves. The sled may have a receiver for the electromagnetic waves. The sled can be moved over the terrain to pick up the transmitted electromagnetic waves from the person buried in the avalanche. It may be possible to reach the person buried in the avalanche in sufficient time so that the person does not die or is not seriously hurt.
The sled can be maneuvered into inaccessible places or into a building or into a cave for observation and rescue purposes.
Another use of the sled can be used for destructive purposes. An explosive can be mounted on the sled and the sled maneuvered into an area which is difficult or dangerous to access. The explosive can be exploded.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
A patent search was made by the applicant at the Engineering Library at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash. The applicant did not find a conflicting invention in the patent search.
In toy stores there are miniature automotive vehicles which are generally battery powered. There is a remote control for the miniature automotive vehicle. A person can activate the vehicle and from a remote position maneuver the vehicle as it moves in a house or a basement or a building.
It is the understanding of the applicant that in avalanche prone areas there may be a mobile vehicle to assist in finding a person buried in the avalanche. The operation of this vehicle for trying to find a person buried in the avalanche is contemplated patent search.
The applicant""s subject invention comprises a propelling means which is mechanical. The invention may have skis or wheels or an endless track or pontoons. There is a servo motor which assists in guiding the direction of movement of the invention, a sled. A camera may be mounted on the sled to take pictures of inaccessible places. There may be a rescue rope mounted on the sled so that a person can hold on to the rope and be moved. Also, there may be an electromagnetic sensing means on the sled so that a person caught in an avalanche can be located. Also, there can be remote control for the servo motor. There may be an antenna on the sled connecting with the servo motor.
It is argued that none of the references found by the applicant are actually applicable to this invention. One of the references is Wheeler, U.S. Pat. No. 2,354,627. Wheeler comprises a sled having three skis. The sled is manually operable. However, the sled does not have a servo motor and does not have electromagnetic sensing means and does not have a propelling means. The sled of Wheeler is manually propelled. Therefore, Wheeler is not an anticipatory prior art to the subject invention.
Scheib, U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,506, discloses a ski and a steering wheel 31 for changing the direction of movement of the ski and the associated two other skis. Scheib is a sled on which two movable runners in front and two in back are mounted so that they can be tilted on a sled frame, so that the canting axes, running in the direction of travel, are primarily parallel over the sled""s contact surface and the runners are connected with each other by at least on jointed parallelogram which transfers the tilting motion. In all, there are four skis in Scheib. Scheib is manually operated and does not have a motor, a servo mechanism, a propelling means, and the like. Therefore, Scheib is not an anticipatory reference to the subject invention.
Sweeney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,912, comprises a sled with three skis. An improved sled apparatus of the ski-type having a main ski bearing a seat and a foot retainer thereon, and steerable upon flanking outrigger auxiliary skis by means of a preferably unitary handlebar assembly operatively interconnected to a pivotable stabilizer bar assembly. There is a main central ski and two outrigger skis. There is a place for an operator to sit and to manually control the up and down movements of the outrigger skis. Sweeney does not have a servo apparatus. Sweeney does not have a motor and a propelling means. Sweeney is a manually operated sled.
Kawazoe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,427, is for a ski edging device. A ski edging device for a snowmobile includes an articulable joint connected between the snowmobile body and the skis to permit rotation of the skis relative to the body about a steering axis and to permit rotation of the skis relative to the body about a camber axis to control maneuvers to prevent lateral side slipping of the snowmobile. Kawazoe is a manually operated sled or snowmobile and does not have servo equipment, a camera, a rescue means or an electromagnetic sensing means. Also, Kawazoe is manually controlled by a person sitting on the snowmobile and there is no remote controller for the sled. Therefore, Kawazoe is not anticipatory of the subject invention.
Stevens, U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,140, is directed to an improved steering linkage for runners or skis or the like. Stevens is directed to a bobsled which can be used for racing purposes. Stevens is manually operated and manually moved. Stevens does not have servo equipment and does not have a servo motor and is not remotely controlled. Therefore, Stevens is not anticipatory of the subject invention.
Olpp et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,408, is for a ski for handicapped people comprising a main ski and two outrigger members for assisting and controlling the movement of the sled and ski. There is a place for a person to sit and to control the direction of movement of the ski. The ski is manually operated. There is no servo means or no motor for propelling the ski and there is no remote control for the ski as the ski is manually controlled. Therefore, Olpp is not an anticipatory reference to the subject invention.
Capra, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,902, is directed to a sled equipped with four skis, a frame, and a steering mechanism. Capra does not have a motor, is not remotely controlled, and does not have a propelling. Capra does comprise a manual steering column for directing the movement of the sled. Again, Capra is manually controlled and does not have a motor. Therefore, Capra is not anticipatory of the subject invention.
Melcher, U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,709, is directed to a linkage system for three skis on the sled. Melcher is a ski apparatus with two outer skis and a third ski located between the two outer skis coupled to the outer skis by four cranks connected as a front pair and a rear pair. Each crank has a gear on one end and a free end. The free end of a crank is attached to a journal box on an outer ski to permit the crank to rotate freely. Melcher does not have a motor for propelling the sled. Melcher does not have a servo mechanism for controlling the movement of the sled. The sled is manually controlled by an operator. Therefore, Melcher is not anticipatory of the present invention.
Gibbons, U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,622, is directed to a steerable and brakable sled. There are two skis, a place to place material to be transported, and a steering mechanism for the two skis. The sled is manually moved and manually controlled and does not have a motor and propelling means for moving the sled and does not have a remote control for controlling the movement of the sled. Therefore, Gibbons is not an anticipatory reference to the subject invention.
The sled is a self-propelled mobile unit which can maneuver over different types of terrain such as snow, ice, earth, water and rocks.
The sled may carry rescue equipment such as a rope or a detector of electromagnetic waves from a transmitter.
The sled can also be used as a toy.